Timeless
by BeyondTime3
Summary: When a ball in honor of the cosmic princess goes awry, Rosalina is forced to recall memories that she thought were buried millennias of universal rebirths away... [Rated T for death scenes and extremely raw emotions. Possible swearing later on.]
1. Chapter 1: A message from above

**[Welcome to the emotional roller-coaster! Before we begin, I highly suggest you go on Youtube and watch MatPat's game theory, 'Rosalina Unmasked'. The AU is based off of that whole thing (with slight alterations), so read it if you don't want to get lost by chapter 3. Unless you want to put the time into figuring it out yourself...? I wouldn't. I'm lazy.  
On that note, disclaimers! All characters and concepts are property of Nintendo, and the theory was made by MatPat on the Game Theory Youtube channel. Now then.]**

**LET'S BEGIN!**

**Chapter One – A Message from Below**

"A-and what about when it's raining? When I can't see the sun or the moon...?"

"My dear, I will become a star in the sky, and wait for your tears to dry..."

The cosmic princess woke with a jolt, sitting up in the tangle of purple sheets and quickly wiping at her face, feeling the dampness of tears smeared around by her tossing and turning. She blinked a few times, looking around to see that she was safely in her home, and not trapped in a misty white nothing with the ghost of someone she once knew.

'It's been a while since I've had that dream...' Rosalina's mind commented to herself. She pulled off the mangle of blankets that were beginning to make her feel trapped and swung her feet to the floor. Soft violet carpet met her toes. She certainly wouldn't be able to sleep after that dream, and there wasn't a specific schedule of sleep to follow in her home anyway, so she decided it was time to wake. Rosalina sighed and grabbed a thin silver rod with a gold star outline on the tip, standing and walking towards the door. She waved the wand in a sweeping motion, and her white nightgown began to melt away, just as swiftly being replaced with an elegant metallic blue dress. Just as the sleeves draping off of her shoulders and lavender heels formed, the princess exited her room.

Her toe met the hallway carpet with the smallest sound of a 'piff!'. It was almost unable to be heard. But the one sound caused a crowd of chubby little star-shaped entities, referred to as Lumas, to burst forth from wherever they were hiding and fly over, chanting, "Mama's up! Mama's up!"

The sight brought a large grin to 'mama's' face, instantly pulling her out of her distraught mood. "Hello my children!" Rosalina called, rubbing her nose as stardust emanating from their small bodies fell onto her face. Nevertheless, she gladly accepted three or four of them into an embrace, giggling, "How are all of you?"

"Just fine mama! But... elder Luma told us to come get you as soon as you were awake! They want to talk to you!"

"Of course." her demeanor had smoothed back out to her warm calmness, but her previous energy had seemed to spread out to the Lumas as they bounced and danced through the air above her head with excitement. "Go on and collect some starbits; so you can transform big and strong someday!"

Her suggestion caused gasping-like-sounds from the star children, and they all cheered as they darted to the direction of the kitchen. Starbits... food seemed like a good idea to the star princess, but she didn't want to keep elder Luma waiting any longer then they might have already. She kicked her feet off the ground and began to hover a few inches, the tips of her shoes just barley grazing the ground as she bounced down the stairs, onto a moving glass platform, and then to a smooth stone pathway.

Floating towards the direction of the terrace, where elder would most likely be waiting; Rosalina gazed out into the starry sky in which her home drifted. She had lived in space ever since she was small, the story as old as time of a little girl running away with a star baby into space... a reality for Rosalina. She could never complain about taking on the duty of making sure the laws of the universe were in order. It meant that she got to oversee the transformation of Lumas, a joyous time and spectacular display for her 'family' of children.

In fact, her 'castle', a space observatory, was powered by energy rich stars and rested on the back of a comet; their form of travel. Both things the product of Luma transformation. Rosalina let her drifting thoughts and wonder at the universe end with a knowing smile when she hovered over the rich grass of the terrace. At the main atrium right in between the terrace and the library foyer, the outline of elder sparkled and floated merrily on.

Halting the floating of her own for a moment to lightly bounce up a few stairs, Rosalina arrived in front of a large screen that depicted all the places in her observatory and their operating conditions. "Elder Luma?"

The ebony black Luma blinked their blue eyes in surprise before chiming, "Ah! Mother, I have something important to alert you of!"

Even the oldest of all the Lumas that had ever stayed on the observatory referred to Rosalina as a 'mother'. She always took the title with pride and responsibility, but it scared her at times. She was only human… and though toadstool heritage expanded her life expectancy immensely, she feared that one day she would pass on and the Lumas would be left wondering in sorrow, searching hopelessly for their mother… just how she had found the Luma she ran away with…

"Uh, yes? Is it urgent?" Rosalina was finding that her day had begun in a rather distant fashion. Such depressing thoughts were unbecoming on a princess.

"I would believe so," elder waved one of their stubbed arms up at the screen, and the dark blue flickered for a moment before displaying a map of their normal 100 year route through space, "Someone has been keeping a close follow on our path. I've calculated their direction, and they should intercept with the observatory within an hour or so."

"Hmm," Rosalina acknowledged his concern and watched the tiny red blip on the monitor, much smaller than anything that could bring harm to her massive station. "Go ahead and initiate precautionary measures. We can't be too careful, considering the monster a few years ago."

.!.!.!.!.!.!.

At first, it was surprising to see the red blip had actually been a red _ship. _But all quintessences aside, the cosmic princess was actually a bit nervous. As the small round pod neared the Observatory, it would rotate slowly and occasionally capture the bright light of a star nearby. The bright glimmer would flash straight at the observatory, causing a foreign chill to slither down Rosalina's spine. It felt eerily familiar to the chill she would feel in the fog of her dreams, and the flash would keep reminding her of a star. _Her_ star...

Standing her ground at the opening of the garage, the space enchantress looked to the sky as the ship drifted ever closer. She didn't let a drop of fear onto her features, for the main reason of not needing to have fear. Yet. That, and her Luma family was already easily spooked. No need to make them afraid if there was nothing to be afraid of.

As the object finally came within distinguishable distance, Rosalina's heart fluttered with relief and excitement. The round, red spaceship was dotted with white spots and had a peach colored base. She could recognize that anywhere; a craft of her family's creation! Memories of the incident a few years ago flooded her mind, the red clad hero, the beast who stole the power stars... the universal reset. It could have been a fairy tale ending if not for that black hole. So joyous and yet so sad, the thought made her want to cry with happiness and scream with anger at the whole ordeal.

The feelings turned into a red-hot whir in the back of her mind, and she let the emotions go without showing any of it on her face. It seemed to be a talent of hers; inherited from her mother is she remembered correctly. But then again, she could hardly remember her at all. The ship touched down on the metallic surface of the garage, a light gust of air from the synthesized gravity causing her hair and gown to slightly flitter backwards. Ignoring the dreaded emotions, and instead focusing on the important question that had been itching at her ever since she identified the ship's origins, Rosalina cautiously approached the mushroom-shaped rocket as the main door retracted from the outer wall.

She wasn't that surprised when a Mushroom Kingdom citizen hopped out. One with bright pink spots and a matching jacket, and they held a heavy leather bag over their shoulder. The toad looked up at the cosmic princess and jumped back with a shrill yelp. "P-princess Rosalina?"

The platinum blonde nodded, neutral but still curious look in her eyes. The toad smiled with relief, quickly searching through his (or her?) bag, clumsily letting papers packed into it fall out and flutter to the ground. The toad finally ceased the action and pulled out a pale pink envelope, sealed with a stamp in the shape of a familiar gold crown...

The space princess didn't mean to be rude, but unintentionally did something to that extent when the anticipation made her snatch the letter out of the toad's stubby hand. She mumbled a half-hearted 'my apologies' and then carefully pulled off the seal... as she opened the letter, a ghostly scent of fruity perfume graced her nose, making Rosalina involuntarily relax her shoulders in remembrance.

_A little girl runs up a hill, grass blowing strongly with the evening breeze. She catches up with an adult woman at the top of the hill, stopping at a tree and then plopping down with a huff at it's base. The woman joins her, gracefully seating herself and then pulling the girl into an embrace. The girl is happy with the gesture, pressing her face into the woman's light blue gown and taking in the scent of her perfume. She wanted to remember everything about her mother..._

"Rosa...lina...?"

The princess was brought out of her memory, lowering the pink stationary and pulling it out of smelling distance. She figured the toad was just as curious as her to what the message said, so the princess of the cosmos read aloud,

"_To her Highness Princess Rosalina of far beyond the stars,  
We are eternally grateful to you for your aid in rescuing Princess Toadstool during the time of the star festival. To express our gratitude, the Princess is hosting a ball at the castle in your honor. By calculating the speed at which your comet was traveling..."_

"Calculated? Does the mushroom kingdom have the technology for that yet?" Rosalina paused her reading to question the toad. It's face seemed to light up, and it merrily exclaimed, "Ever since Bowser was arrested your brightness! Immediately after Princess Peach and Mario returned, she began the construction of space observatories!"

Rosalina smiled in delighted surprise. The mushroom kingdom had advanced exponentially in astronomy, thanks to her! But something else the toad said caused her to further inquire, "The monster? Bowser, was he put in prison?"

"Absolutely! It's all safe now Princess!" The toad pressed the tips of it's stubby fingers together, asking in a sheepish voice, "How does the letter end?"

"Oh! Of course, I should finish that..." The princess exclaimed in realization.

_"By calculating the speed at which your comet was traveling, we estimate this letter will arrive a week before the ball. It would overjoy us if you could attend personally, and accept a gift we have prepared.  
In respected recognition,  
-Lord Toadsworth_"

A ball at the mushroom kingdom, especially for her. The cosmic princess held the letter lightly against her chest, taking in its peach scent once more and mentally contemplating if she could attend. After taking on the responsibility of the Lumas, she had learned the truth about universal rebirths and thought it would be best if she didn't let people from two different sets of time interact. Was she herself, manipulator of time, exempt from that rule? She badly wanted to see old faces once more, almost to the point of making her chest ache with yearning. Yet she knew the Lumas needed her to care for and watch over them... leaving for a party would be neglectful.

Taking the observatory and the Lumas on it with her, would throw off the comet's cycle. And on a further note the star festival... but to see her family... an exception could be made, she was sure.

"I... I think I'll accept the offer. It might take a while to redirect the comet's path, but you can expect me there... I wouldn't miss it for the world."

**[*rubs hands* and it begins! I have no idea how long this story will go for after 3 chapters... so leave a review, and suggestions are much appreciated!]**


	2. Chapter 2: Old faces, new places

**[As I'm starting to elaborate on Rosalina's powers and what she actually does in this AU, the whole 'seeing beyond' will make sense later. ;y]**

**Chapter 2- Old faces, new places.**

Rosalina clicked her tongue off the roof of her mouth in contemplation. She wasn't sure if she should have been amazed or repelled by her reflection… as the cosmic princess turned left and right to observe her 'formal' look, she began to entertain the thoughts of not going to the celebration after all. Doing this… outfit… this 'fancy' party thing… was beginning to make her stomach lurch with panic.

She had only ever been taught proper mannerisms from books she collected over the years, and they all sat in the back shelves of her library; unfinished for their boring content and now only serving the purpose of collecting dust. Would she have to look over them again… should she…?

Twirling in a circle to disperse the impulsive fretting, Rosalina looked to her bedroom mirror one last time. Her dress was the same spacey blue, but had puffy sleeves that rested just below the round of her shoulders. The heart shape of her top was more pronounced, with dark teal lining on the edge and her same star broach in the middle, which was thankfully covering her cleavage… she realized she didn't like low-cut tops anymore.

The top clung to her form snugly until it reached the skirt of the dress at her hips, which puffed out around her so smoothly it looked like a water fountain. Teal lining was at the very bottom on the skirt, just long enough to hide her glassy lavender heels. Her hair… worried her greatly; it was so beyond what felt comfortable. All the naturally spiking blonde curls and waves had been haphazardly stuffed into a low setting bun, smoothed out by thin hair netting that she had to lace with her power to keep from looking ratty. It didn't take too much energy though, and the light lavender shimmer the energy gave it, in her opinion, was beautiful.

What actually made her nervous were her bangs. Normally left to hang over her left eye with no worry, the hair was now tightly curled to outline her face closely and then wing out at the very end. It left her eye out of its shady hideaway… not that it was malformed or didn't match the other one, but that eye in particular could see things beyond, and that would make it glow… occasionally.

The cosmic princess tried not to let it bother her, since it really was just an ordinary eye to everyone else. Not wanting to seem vain by looking at her reflection any longer, Rosalina grabbed her wand off of a table nearby and walked out of the room in long strides. The bulky dress made it difficult for her to hover, but she didn't want to change since its style was traditional for royalty where she was going.

Walking out of her room and through the kitchen hall, Rosalina let out a deep breath and looked out towards the star they were nearing, more commonly referred to as 'the sun'. Though there were no clouds in space, the sun's light was outshining the light of the other stars and bending around the comet observatory in a way that made the sky bright blue. It reminded her of the planet they were going towards.

As the Lumas circled around the observatory, their high-pitched chatter spoke of the 'grand celebration' and 'Mama's party!'. The Luma's 'Mama' smiled, knowing that going to the ball was making them happy, and that was reason enough not to go back on it. Taking her place in the main atrium of their ship, Rosalina tried carefully to levitate a small distance off the ground, and achieved a few inches. The toes of her shoes were still scraping the ground rather unattractively, but she felt more comfortable in the position than just on her feet.

Floating gave her a bit more prominent reason to stand around and do nothing… it made her look like she was meant to be where she was and couldn't be bothered. At least, that's what she thought. Maybe it was just a way to be lazy. A light chuckle escaped her lips at the thought, making elder Luma take notice of her and inquire, "Is there something you find humorous?"

"No," she replied, amused smile still present on her features, "But I realized I might talk to myself a bit too much."

"Then it's a good thing you're going to relax at a party! You'll get to talk with other people who don't have starbits and transformation as their primary subject of conversation."

"Perhaps so," she said, nervousness grazing her voice, "But I'm afraid that it might be mine."

Elder Luma rubbed a stubby arm around the area that would be assumed their head, and made a high-pitched sound similar to a cough. "…You look stunning mother. Everyone will simply adore your radiance!"

A heartfelt grin appeared on the space princess's face, "Thank you elder Luma! That makes me feel exponentially better."

The older of the Lumas in her home always seemed to be the wisest; they knew just what to say at the right time. And even though they could have been thousands of years older than her, they respected Rosalina with the awe normally given to a guardian. Her family made her feel special, and that was only one of the millions of good things they had brought to her.

Tilting her head to the side and patting her hair down protectively, Rosalina looked to the elder Luma's wisdom, "Do you think I'm making a bad decision? Coming here so early?"

The black and blue Luma looked to their mother, seeing the frightened face of a parent confronted with their first serious problem. "Mother… this _is_ your home. We go where you go. As for the laws of the universe, I doubt an early visit will affect anything too greatly."

"Well I'm not worried about the 'laws of the universe'; my purpose is to make sure you're all happy and feel taken care of by the time you transform. Is this selfish of me?"

"Hardly, mother. We're all happy for you."

The calmness of their words instantly soothed the princess. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and silently thanked the stars she had such sensible outside voices…

As the comet observatory traveled ever closer to the little blue planet, home to the Mushroom Kingdom, Rosalina heard a surreal streak across the sky. Looking up, she saw trails of glowing white heading towards the planet. This was the entire reason the star festival even came to existence, to gather and celebrate the falling starbits. It felt fitting with her arrival. As one mini-comet hit the atrium hall's glass floor, a light ching sounded out and a few colorful star pieces began bouncing around with a twinkling sound. Rosalina closed her eyes, listening to the cosmic tune the starbits made and then opening them once the pieces dispersed into stardust.

'Waste not, want not…' the star princess thought, marveling at the nature of the cosmic food. If they weren't collected soon enough, they disseminated back into the very thing more starbits could be made of. It had been extremely clever of the one who created them… she shrugged off the chill at the thought; letting any bad memories related to starbits vanish with an emotionless sigh. The starbits were created as nourishment for the Lumas. That was all.

"Mother, it should only be a few more minutes before we enter an orbiting state around the planet. Are you ready?"

The space princess smiled and nodded with the reply, "As long as all of you are."

Though, in all truth, she wasn't ready. As they got closer and the drifting of her stomach became increasingly painful, she knew there was a greater pain to come. Rosalina had only directly visited the planet and its people once upon a different time; only to have her emotions ignited so brightly and be filled with so much grief…

.!.!.!.!.!.!.

"It should be different this time around. You understand what happens; and you're much older now."

Elder Luma reassured his mother when she had remembered the incident that happened thousands of her years ago. In summary, she hadn't learned yet that universal resets made things different. That was also before she had control over what could stay the same. The first thing she did after the rebirth was going to her home in hopes of seeing her mother alive again. She got her wish, but with the cruel irony of it being in a different set of time. Her parents weren't even together yet.

Sniffling as she couldn't force the memories away this time, Rosalina tried to compose herself before teleporting to the planet with a wave of her wand. Elder Luma wasn't accompanying her, nor were any of the Lumas, as they wouldn't arrive until the ball started that night. Watching as cosmic dust and swirls surrounded her mid-transport; the space princess rubbed her left eye when she started seeing hazy multicolored specs.

She blinked roughly and then focused her eyes on where she had ended up, the courtyard of princess Peach's castle. The stardust in her eye diminished, leaving a whisper behind that she couldn't quite hear, but made her nervous nonetheless.

Turning in a circle and then looking to the sky, Rosalina smiled in relief when the star-like glowing of the observatory rested in the sky and starbits streaked through the air. The air… it wasn't synthesized like the oxygen on her ship, and smelled extremely sweet. Inhaling deeply, the cosmic princess realized how much she had missed the planet. It felt good to be back…

"No, I'm sure the tops were curled more. And the limbs need to be less pointy; they're star _children_, not stars…"

Rosalina's heart nearly jumped into her throat when she heard the sing-song voice of the mushroom princess. Whipping her head around just in time to lock eyes with Peach, she watched the lady's bright blue eyes light up with joy. "Princess Rosalina!"

She quickly walked over, heels clicking each time they met the stone pathway until she reached the space princess. Taking Rosalina's hand into her own, she brightly exclaimed, "Hi! I'm so honored that you could attend! You look lovely."

The cosmic ruler fought to find words while feeling a lump in her throat. Peached looked so young and beautiful, so healthy. And yet the solid gaze of wisdom and affection was completely gone, the look Rosalina had been so used to. Not wanting to look like a fool, she quickly forced out a quick, "Y-yes, hello! Thank you for having me…"

"Of course! I'm glad you were able to make it so early too. If you don't mind too much…" the innocent grip on Rosalina's hand tightened slightly, and Peach guided the princess over to a large green bush in a patch of grass. A short little toad held a pair of gardening shears, trying to cut the shrub to the princess's specifications. What looked like it was supposed to be a Luma was bluntly carved out of the leaves and sticks, and peach sighed before continuing, "We could use some help with decoration. I vaguely recall what the star children looked like, and… well… you can see here, it's not going well."

She waved her free hand at the greenery to highlight its general deformity, and Rosalina nervously chuckled at it. "I suppose I can help…"

Holding the edge of her wand between her thumb and index finger, she waved it up at the bush and multicolored swirls followed it. They suddenly shot out towards the shrub, rapidly twirling around it and eventually reaching a speed that made the structure difficult to see. When the 'blades' slowed to a stop and dissolved into stardust; an accurate sculpture of a Luma stood in its place.

"Yes! That's exactly what I remember!" Peach cried with excitement, running a lap around the structure and admiring how it sparkled from excess stardust. "This is amazing Rosalina," she joined the cosmic princess's side once more, "Could you help with a few more decorations? I don't mean hedge trimming, we can leave that to the gardeners, but indoor stuff?"

"I…" Rosalina tried to process the information, looking to Peach and still seeing emptiness. Her left eye, however, was beginning to overlap other phantom images of the mushroom princess from other times. They didn't stand out too terribly from her present form, except one…

She tried to blink it away, turning her head and nodding, "It's not a problem your highness!"

"Oh goodness, you don't have to call me that! Peach is just fine!" As the pink-clad lady guided her to the castle, Rosalina could feel exhaustion already creeping in. Not from decorating, she clearly remembered the activity when decorating her home with her mother for birthdays. That was fun. But seeing beyond, the best way to put it, was an exhausting measure in itself, since it went hand in hand with rebirths. But now was not the time for the celestial sight, so she tried to push it away.

"I would have properly introduced myself years ago; even held this celebration sooner, but after what happened…" Peach looked to Rosalina for the right word.

"Universal rebirths."

"Of course. After that, you were nowhere to be found! I did feel quite awful for staying such a stranger, but after the rebirth there was a lot to deal with politically. I did manage to set up an arrangement for everyone to be happy, however, so it seems to have worked out in the end."

The mushroom princess looked off to the side, a distant look in her eye. "Mario tried to explain how a Universal Rebirth works, but he said you were vague about it. I'm afraid we don't quite understand it…"

Rosalina nodded sympathetically, "I didn't elaborate very far to spare all of your minds. The ordeal at play would have been a bit… much… for him if I had added the entirety of what a reset is, though I don't see the problem in explaining it now."

A smile had taken root on the space princess's face, mostly there from the joy of getting to spend time with Peach once more. Though there were the bad memories, ones she hated recalling from seeing the simplest of things, there were also the extremely good ones. They normally took longer to enter her mind, but when they did, she felt warmth through the cold of the cosmic ether. It was feeling lighter than a feather even when the weight of her purpose was on her shoulders. When that happened, the need to be cautious and reserved would melt away. She could finally, even just for a moment, be the little girl that ran away with a star baby.

She began to talk of the universal resets like a child who had seen their first rainbow, "You see, when stars die, they turn into stardust. This dust scatters all across the universe and eventually reforms into many new things; some new stars are born and become Lumas. The Lumas eventually transform themselves; most of the time individually…"

She paused as they entered the castle's foyer, gaze sweeping across the room as she took in the slightly familiar sight. It used to be much more blue and purple, but the reds and pinks matched nicely as well. Various toads scurried about it, putting up soft white banners painted with stars and getting round tables assorted in an organized pattern. "But… when there are accidents that affect everyone and everything in the universe, like Bowser's invasion, the Lumas can gather together and transform into a new universe, destroying the old one and making a mirror universe in its place. Sometimes it comes about naturally, and sometimes it's forced, something that has to be done. That's my role…"

"You reset the universe? All on your own?" Peach asked with awe, pausing for a moment to confirm the shape of a napkin a servant was holding and then focusing her attention back to Rosalina.

"Yes! I have memory of every time span for every universal reset, so I know what went bad and what prospered. In a controlled rebirth, I keep history from repeating itself, because everything is permanently stored up here." She lightly tapped a finger on the side on her head, letting her gleeful grin fade to a surreal smile.

"Amazing… well, I'm sure I can say again on behalf of my entire kingdom that we're extremely grateful. For everything you've done."

"Of course! You're very welcome; it's simply what I do."

Clearing her throat, the mushroom princess seemed ready to change the subject. "So, in terms of your celebration, I was thinking I should open the gates at 7 and give everyone time to get there by 8. We'll have the dances in the ballroom and then a dinner here… oh! I almost forget to ask… have you any problems with a masquerade?"

"A… a what?"

**[Tensions rise (not really. maybe just emotionally). Much will be revealed in chapter 3! Leave a review if you see it fit!]**


	3. Chapter 3: Times that were lost

**Chapter 3: Times that were lost.**

_"Listen up everyone!" A young girl called out to the sky, her reply a mass of star children collecting near her. She smiled, now having their attention. "One of your siblings has transformed into a wondrous planet!"_

_The star children cheered, their happy squeals making the young Rosalina laugh with joy. "They wanted us to go there and have a celebration, full of dancing and starbit cakes!"_

_The cheers increased in volume, and everyone set about preparing for a party on their sibling's beautiful planet. The cosmic princess, Rosalina, was the happiest a 15 year old 'mother' could be._

.!.!.!.!.!.!.

"Starbits…" the space princess muttered as she observed the ceiling in the ballroom. The word was just loud enough to echo across the grand room, and Peach turned to look at her from a few yards away.

"What-bits?" She asked, eager to hear if Rosalina had a new suggestion. The cosmic princess waved her wand in a small circle, conjuring up the shining specs of stardust. "These starbits will cast vibrant colors across the dance hall when the light hits them."

With a wave of her wand, Rosalina cast the starbits into the air, where they floated near the ceiling with a cosmic glow. As they rotated and meandered through the sky, the lights of the chandeliers would occasionally hit them just so, and the result was a constant wavy aurora of colors dancing across the room.

Peach gaped at the spectacular sight, "This is so beautiful…"

Rosalina nodded, looking at the mushroom princess as she watched the ceiling. The wonder in her eyes made the cosmic princess smile. Before she could say anything, she heard the ballroom's doors open, and then an amazed, "Mama Mia!"

"… Mario?" The star princess turned around to see the red-clad hero, looking up at the starbit display with the fondness of recalling a memory. The man looked back to her, grin spreading from ear to ear when he saw her. Quickly running up to her, he bent over with a regal bow and then straightened up to say, "Your highness. It's-a been far too long-a since I last saw you."

"It has been quite a while…" Rosalina lightly curtseyed in response, pleased with how Mario's polite mannerisms hadn't changed a bit. "The celebration planned is spectacular, I'm very grateful you invited me here."

"Yes! I'm-a very glad you're here. It-a would explain the sky…"

"The sky?" Peach and Rosalina said in unison. The princesses walked out of the ballroom; looking out the first window they encountered to see the setting sun. Small white streaks flew through the air at a much more rapid pace, accompanied by multi-colored star children dashing through the air with glee. The mushroom citizens weren't panicked, however, as they seemed to be enjoying a makeshift star festival.

Rosalina began to giggle at the sight, but shut up immediately after when Peach gasped in distress. "It's already sunset?! I need to get ready…!"

She yelled over to some servants making their way down the hall, "Send Madame Toad to the dressing room immediately!" and then scurried up a flight of stairs to her bedroom. "We need a mask for you, Rosalina! Come with me, quickly!"

Not wanting to argue with the frantic princess, Rosalina shrugged at Mario and said, "It was lovely getting to see you again, but I have to be off…"

The man in red nodded knowingly, replying as the cosmic princess followed Peach's path, "Of course-a! I'll see-a you tonight!"

Gathering a bundle of her dress in her hand, Rosalina scurried up the stairs. Her other hand shot out to grasp the railing when she nearly tripped; making her wish the dress she chose wasn't so bulky…

Reaching the top of the stairs, the cosmic princess walked down the hall and through the doorway she saw Peach disappear into. Timidly poking her head in, she saw the mushroom princess over in the corner browsing a closet jam-packed with clothing, mostly glowing with pink articles. "Don't be shy Rosalina! Come on in, and close the door behind you!"

She did just that, and slowly made her way over to Peach as she roughly shoved her hands through the closet's dresses, seeming to be in an effort to find a certain garment. She murmured quietly to herself, "Ohhh… I hope Madame Toad finished the dress I asked for. I've worn all of these too often! I'll be recognized to quickly…"

"Recognized to quickly? But don't you want your people to know who you are?" Rosalina inquired, causing Peach to put her search on hold and look back at the cosmic princess. A hint of amusement glittered in her eyes, and she chuckled before asking, "Do you know what happens at a Masquerade?"

Rosalina shook her head innocently, thinking back to how her parents had planned one for her eighteenth birthday. Her mother had gotten ill before that however, and she had soon forgotten about the idea when she ran away to space. Peach began to spin around the room in reminiscing, explaining with a dreamy tone to her voice, "It's just like it sounds! Everyone there is to wear extravagant costumes and most importantly; masks to cover their identities. It's tradition to keep your identity secret until a given reveal time; I've been thinking before the dinner, but it's all so…"

"Mysterious?"

"Yes," Peach agreed, "But I was thinking romantic. I've read so many stories of people falling in love at Masquerades, but then getting separated because someone has to leave before the revealing…" the mushroom princess finally ceased her twirling, only to dizzily plop down on a circular platform in the middle of the room.

"At least you don't have to worry about that, since you have Lu- Mario," Rosalina quickly corrected herself, "You two seem to be… acquainted."

"Acquainted?" Peach laughed, light melodic giggles making the cosmic princess impulsively grin, "I suppose you could say that. Toadsworth would rather I wed someone of high status, but in the end it's my choice. I'll probably marry Mario… soon enough. Now that Bowser is in prison, we can worry less about our wedding getting crashed."

That reminded Rosalina, "About Bow-"

Before she could ask, a light knocking on the door caused Peach to jump up and swing it wide open, squealing in delight when an older female looking toad was there to answer it. "Madame Toad! Ooh, you have it ready! Come in!"

The royal dresser strolled in, pushing ahead of her a model torso on wheels wearing a silky lavender dress. Rosalina was momentarily surprised by the deviation from Peach's signature color, but remembered the point of a Masquerade, to hide one's identity. The mushroom princess softly stroked the smooth fabric, and then clapped her hands in unconcealed joy. "It's beautiful Madame! Thank you for making it on such short notice!"

"Of course," the wise voice replied, "But you should wear it instead of stare at it!"

Peach beamed her delighted smile, pulling the model along with her as she ran behind a changing board, nearly knocking it over when the model accidentally hit the wooden frame. Rosalina couldn't help but let out a small giggle, patiently waiting for the princess to don her apparently new outfit.

After a few minutes, the mushroom princess emerged from behind the changing wall, spinning in a circle and then climbing onto the round platform. The dress fit to her form, and then spread out loosely just below her hips. She seemed to be delighted with the design. Madame Toad held a finger to her chin, contemplating its look and then walking over to a set of drawers next to Rosalina. Quickly stepping out of the way, the cosmic princess watched the elder lady pull out a translucent blue cape and unfold it, wrinkles instantly undoing themselves as the fabric billowed out in front of her.

"This will contrast nicely with the lavender…" She gestured for Peach to lower herself to a reachable height and then clipped the fabric onto the shoulder straps of the dress, "Yes, I thought so…"

"The mask?"

"Right here your highness." Madame Toad picked up the light purple piece of thin porcelain, brushing off the cerulean feathers coming out the top with her fingertips. Peach delicately held it in her hands, letting out a satisfied 'hmm' before lifting it to her face. It was a perfect fit.

"Wow…" Rosalina pressed her wand into her right palm, gripping it without thought as she observed the mushroom princesses's attire, "You look beautiful… so much like a queen."

Queenly regalness is what she had been used to coming out of Peach, after all.

"Thank you dear!" Peach nodded, brushing a feather out of her face with the gesture and then stepping off the platform, "We might have been wasting a bit of time- let's find a mask for you and then we can join the celebration!"

**[So I made a bit of an underestimate... Things will be picking up by the next chapter! Leave a reveiw, if you please! It's my only motivation... *sob*]**


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